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L. SIMK'INS.

APPARATUS TO PREVENT BOILER EXPLOSIONS No. 281,803. PatentedJuly 24, 1888.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEBBEUS SIMKINS, OF MARSHFIELD, OREGON.

APPARATUS TO PREVENT BOILER EXPLOSIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,803, dated July 24, 1883.

Application filed April 24, 1883.

To on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEBBEUS SIMKINs, of Marshfield, in the county of Coos and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus to Prevent Boiler Explosions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists of a 'contrivance that is designed to cause the heavier portion of the gas that is supposed to be generated in the boiler to pass away as fast as generated along with the lighter portions, and thus prevent the accumulation of any large measure of the heavy gas on the surface of the water and immediately over it, which is supposed to take place when the steam-pipe receives the steam from the upper portion of the steam-space, and is a cause of explosion, the said apparatus being as hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which the figure is a sectional elevation of a boiler through the steam-dome and steam-pipe, showing the arrangement which I propose partly in side view and partly in section.

I propose to arrange what I call a gaspipe, a, on a float, b, resting 011 the surface of the water and supporting said pipe, which extends from the float up into the steam-pipe c, by which the steam is taken off to the en gine, the pipe passing through one or more guides, d, to keep the float in position, but allowing the pipe to rise and fall freely. The end of the gas-pipe extending into the steampipe has a collar, 6, to limit the annular opening f around the pipe, through which the steam and light gas flow into the steam-pipe, and also to rest on the upper guide, 11, to prevent the gas-pipe from dropping out of the steam-pipe should the water fall too low in the boiler. At the base of the gas-pipe, and as low down to the surface of the water as the float will allow, the gas-pipe has holes 9, through which it is designed that the obstructed flow of the lighter vapors of the upper steamspace shall produce a draft that will take in the heavier gas of the lower portion of the steam, and thus cause the due escape of the said'heavier gas as rapidly as it is generated,

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and by that means prevent the accumulation of any undue measure of any one portion of the vapors more than another. The float is made very broad to cover a large area of water-surface in the vicinity of the gas-pipe to prevent the bubbles of foam passing from the surface of the water into the gas-pipe. Any other method of taking the heavy gas from the immediate vicinity of the surface of the Water, while preventing the water-bubbles from flowing along with it, may do as well as the pipe a and float; but I prefer to use them, as being the simplest and best, although the float may be dispensed with. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with astcam-boiler and the steam-pipe, of a gas-pipe adapted to receive the heavy gas or vapor at or about the surface of the water in the boiler, and allowing a restricted passage of the steam or gas into the steam-pipe in the upper steam-space, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a steam-boiler and the steam-pipe, of a gas-pipe receiving the heavy gas or vapor at or about the surface of the water inthe boiler and allowing a restricted passage of the steam or gas into the steam-pipe in the upper steam-space, the said gas-pipe being supported on a float, which is also a guard to prevent the escape of foam-bubbles into the pipe, substantially as described.

3. The gas-pipe a, supported on float b and entering steam-pipe c at its upper end, which is provided with a collar, e, to restrict the flow of steam into pipe'c, and also to arrest the descent of the float by the guide (I, substantially as described.

4:. The combination of float b, gas-pipe a, guides d, collar 6, and the steampipe c, said gas-pipe having a collar, 6, forming an annular passage, f, with steam-pipe c, and having passages 9 into it at the lower end, substantially as described.

' LEBBEUS SIMKINS.

Witnesses:

A. M. CRAWFORD, ROBERT A. CHURCH. 

